


The Truth about Lies

by sapphirerose1990



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Awkward Crush, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kidnapping, Missing Persons, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Peggy and Angie Friendship, peggysous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-03-31 11:04:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3975715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirerose1990/pseuds/sapphirerose1990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy Carter knows the importance of a good lie. Secrets keep people safe but what happens when a secret puts a good Agent in the hospital? With Dottie Underwood out for revenge, Peggy must use her wits to stop this Black Widow from killing again before it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In celebration of Agent Carter being renewed, I am posting this little fanfic I wrote. Every Wednesday there will be a new chapter and it takes place right after the last episode of Season 1. I hope you like it. Feel free to comment, favorite or follow.

Despite the normally busy hours of a Wednesday afternoon, time seemed to have stopped for the agents of the SSR. There was a still and somber moment lingering in the air, as memorial services usually were. With the overcast skies, clouds threatening rain and Agent Jack Thompson giving the eulogy to a crowd of onlookers, it was downright dreary but it was all standard procedure. Mrs. Dooley stood quietly with her children, her hands holding the flag and a medal.

It was quite impressive really. The Medal of Honor was only handed out to a few agents but Roger Dooley was given it on account of his heroic sacrifice. Despite his death, the honor was still meant all the same and the award was given to Mrs. Dooley. The widow didn't know why her husband was dead, having been told a false story but she and her children wept all the same.

Jack Thompson awkwardly glanced at the woman, bothered by her tears but he continued on with the service. "The Chief was a good man." He went on sadly. "He was brave, kind to his fellow employees, a credit to his profession, a tireless worker and for many of us, a loyal friend. I know that I can speak for everyone when I say that Roger Dooley will be missed and that we will never forget him."

Enthusiastic applause came from the crowd of onlookers. The Vice President, who had flown in from Washington DC was smiling proudly, clapping Thompson on the back. More words of praise and some members of Dooley's family began to leave some flowers and candles on the sidewalk in front of the Phone Company. It now looked like a small shrine, Agent Carter mused.

Standing near the back of the crowd, Peggy Carter did her best to listen politely. She clapped and nodded when appropriate but it did not prevent the guilt and bitterness that seeped into her heart when she saw Mrs. Dooley cry. This seemed all too familiar and it made her sick to her stomach.

A whole day off for a memorial service was such a waste. Dottie Underwood was probably long gone by now and people over here were weeping. Weeping for dead men was pointless! Their tears would not bring back Chief Dooley and it sure as hell would not bring back Steve Rogers from the grave. Some frustrated tears of her own welled up but she quickly wiped them away. Impatient with her own emotions, Peggy glanced at the other agents to see how they were holding up.

The men were listening intently but Daniel Sousa noticed her looking. He saw her sad expression and when their eyes briefly met, he shot her a sympathetic smile. Peggy looked down sheepishly and smiled a little too. Perhaps she was overreacting but it did not make her frustration go away.

Deciding it was best to keep her eyes down, Peggy waited for the memorial service to be over.

It seemed to take forever but soon there was another loud round of applause and people were beginning to leave. Thunder was rumbling in the distance now and the agents eventually disappeared into the crowded New York streets. Daniel was about to leave too but he noticed Peggy had not moved from her spot. Her expression was unreadable, but Daniel knew it too well.

He smiled sadly, recalling the way she looked whenever Steve Rogers was mentioned in her company. That lost look, the one where she was one step away from breaking down but…she never did. Peggy buried her emotions inside. Hesitatingly, he went over and patted her shoulder.

"We'll stop her eventually, Carter. I promise, no matter what it takes."

"Yes, I know we will." Peggy agreed, her eyes piercing his. "But I almost caught her, Daniel! If I hadn't turned my back none of this would have happened. I should have known what Dottie was up to! She lived in my building, she was my next door neighbor and I never once suspected a thing! I'm a fool for not spotting her disguise sooner and now seeing Dooley's wife up there? It's my fault. Leviathan is a much bigger threat then I thought. How many more will die because of me?"

Her sharp tone and angry words did not make Agent Sousa flinch. He merely sighed, looking at her with warm, affectionate eyes. "It's not your fault. You suspected Leviathan right away."

Peggy glanced at him surprised, but Sousa went on. "We're the fat-heads who gave you that bum rap. We should have trusted you…I should have trusted you. If we went after the real bad guys sooner, well maybe this outcome would have been different. Maybe…maybe the Chief would be still alive. We underestimated many people, Dr. Fennhoff, Leviathan and especially you Peggy."

Rain started falling as they spoke. First there was only a light drizzle but it soon became a torrential downpour falling on their heads. Water dripped off Peggy's hat and umbrellas went up one by one. Remaining people started to run for cover but Sousa didn't move. His eyes were on Peggy and he offered her his own umbrella. "Do you want to take it? My apartment is not far."

His chivalry did not go unnoticed but Peggy looked away.

"No, I plan on going to the diner and the umbrella would only get in my way."

Her words were stiff but after seeing Daniel's hurt expression, Peggy smiled softly. "I won't melt, Daniel! I will be fine. I just need some time to think but… thank you. I honestly don't know what I did to inspire your affections but I've been meaning to apologize for my actions. Before Dottie, I never realized how much it hurt to misjudge someone. I reacted poorly with the whole Stark situation. We may have our secrets but I promise to include you in the loop next time. You are a good man."

Agent Sousa ducked down embarrassingly, a dopey smile playing on his lips.

"We both have a lot to learn from each other." Daniel said shyly. "But you are a good woman too Peggy and I'll see you tomorrow. Let's all hope Thompson won't let this promotion go to his head! You'd think from all his bragging that he caught Dr. Fennhoff by himself single handily."

He made a face and Peggy laughed softly.

Peggy watched Sousa disappear into the crowd. The last she could see, was Thompson running up to meet with him and the two men talking before she finally began her brisk walk towards the restaurant. It was really raining hard now and she could barely make out the neon sign blinking in the darkness. Luckily, the L & L Automat was only three blocks from the SSR headquarters.

The little diner was busy tonight. People were coming in from the rain and the little bell went off every five minutes. Waitresses were scurrying all over the place, this way and that, trying to keep up with the customers coming in but Peggy knew the routine. Grabbing a menu, she sat down at her favorite booth and met Angie's eyes when she was taking the orders of another customer.

Angie spotted her and grinned cheerfully at her. "I'll be over there as soon as I can!" the young waitress called out loudly over the busy noise of the Automat. "Just give me one second, okay?"

Peggy waved her off. "Don't worry, take your time. I'll be sitting over here."

Looking out the window, the rain seemed to match her mood. She thought about what Agent Sousa said earlier and she mused about the ethics of lying and espionage. In her line of work, it was much easier to tell a lie or to use elaborate disguises to get what they wanted in a particular situation. But what happened when she herself became the very person who was deceived? They were supposed to be the good guys, but agents, herself included, often had to toe that fine line. Was there really a big difference between Dottie's actions and her own when it came to personal vendettas and lying to hide it from others?

Had she done the right thing? Was a lie still a bad thing, even if it was to protect another person?

Suddenly there was a loud noise. Startled out of her thoughts and jumping on reflex, Peggy became more alert and tense as if she expected to see an enemy in the ordinary little diner. Her fists clenched and she was prepared to run or fight for her life. This tense feeling did not last long though, especially when she saw that it was only Angie. Her friend had plopped down on the opposite side of the booth and had a cup of tea in her hand. Peggy gave a quiet sigh of relief.

"Whoa, you sure are edgy tonight! What's wrong English? More trouble with the boys at work?"

Her friend looked at her with deep concern and Peggy, feeling embarrassed by her reaction, tried to relax. She took a deep breath and forced her lips into a smile. "No, it's not that. There was a death at the office. My boss, he died in a horrible accident yesterday and I can't help but think I could have done something to prevent it. I guess I'm still a bit shaken up by what happened."

Angie's eyes widened "Another death? That Phone Company of yours must be a dangerous place to work! This is what, the second death in two months? Have you ever thought about quitting?"

Peggy gave her an irritated glare.

"Alright, alright I'll take that as a no!" Angie said quickly. "But seriously English, every time I see you, you seem to be upset. Why would you work at a place where the boys treat you so horribly? It's not like you need the money for a place to sleep! Mr. Megabucks is giving us a home for free! I don't know about you, but I plan on making acting a full time career real soon!"

"Well, I have considered it once or twice." Peggy admitted, giving a short laugh. "Between the lack of respect, working under false pretenses with Howard Stark and that whole hullabaloo that happened two weeks ago, it was something easy to consider. But things are different now. Most of the adolescents are behaving themselves and there's this one man, he's not so bad at all really."

Leaning in, Angie gave Peggy an inquiring look. "Oh, tell me more about this not so bad man?"

Peggy Carter shifted uncomfortably in her seat, what with Angie giving her that inquisitive look. She was bearing down hard, hoping to hear every detail. "Well…um…where to begin?" She stammered awkwardly. "He is kind to me and funny too. He tries to defend my honor, even when I don't need it. He's different than the others but he also reminds me of someone I once knew."

Angie grinned. "So are you going to tell me his name? The guy you're carrying a torch for? Or do I already know him? Wait…it's not Moneybags himself is it? Is your guy Howard Stark?"

Peggy scrunched her nose up in disgust causing Angie to laugh.

"Well, alright! Again with the no! Go on, keep your secrets. I will find out someday. Just make sure you let me know before you two get hitched. I would really love to be your Maid of Honor!"

For the first time in the longest time, Peggy Carter blushed red. It only made Angie laugh harder.

Shaking her head, the young waitress got up and went back to work. Food had to be delivered and one woman was waiting irritably with an empty cup. "I could use a fresh cup of coffee!" She demanded. "I have been waiting for you to come by my table for the last twenty minutes!"

"Sorry about that, ma'am! Just ran into an old friend, is all." Angie said breezily. "I'll be right there with a fresh cup in a jiffy!" The woman huffed and muttered something under her breath.

"Just think about what I said." Angie said to Peggy with a wink. "We'll continue this discussion later. I'll see you back home sometime around midnight when I get off! So hang in there, girly!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy.

When the rain finally stopped, darkness had already fallen. The City that Never Sleeps was starting to grow restless as the hours passed by, lights were being turned on and people were leaving their homes to enjoy the crisp air and the local nightlife. The air smelled clean and fresh, nobody noticed or cared that one woman was making her way down down the block. She was invisible.

Unnoticed when she came to the penthouse around 1 AM and unnoticed still when she pulled herself up and stared into the bedroom of her nemesis. Standing on the roof, she fingered the knife in her hand and imagined plunging it into Carter's heart. It was so very tempting to kill her tonight. Peggy was lying right there…asleep in her bed and completely unaware of her visitor.

She should kill her…but not yet. Not now. Her revenge would never be satisfied with an easy kill. No…there were better ways. Silently staring at Peggy's sleeping form, the woman made a promise. Agent Carter would suffer; then she would understand what it truly meant to die. She would become nothing, just as she herself had been nothing in Russia. Smirking and blowing a kiss in the general direction of the bed, she went to work rummaging through the many drawers.

Peggy was fast asleep; exhausted, she never noticed there was an intruder in her room. Everything seemed to be peaceful, at least until Angie Martinelli let out a shriek some hours later. "English, wake up!" Her friend demanded, shaking Peggy. "I think we've been robbed!"

"Hmm…what?" Peggy murmured sleepily. "What's going on? Angie?"

Angie Martinelli was a complete mess. Her brown hair was sticking up in places, her makeup was smudged and her eyes were wild as she tried not to panic. In explanation she opened up Peggy's dresser but there were only some empty drawers. Then she opened Peggy's closet, the hangers stood alone and empty. Even her makeup bureau had been cleared out. It was all gone.

Getting up quickly and slipping on a robe, Peggy tried to piece the facts together. "So correct me if I'm wrong, but most of my clothing was taken last night? What about you? Were you hurt? Was anything of yours taken? How about money? Are there any valuable possessions missing?"

"My room wasn't touched." Angie said bemused. "Believe me, I checked! I was just coming into check on you and maybe borrow an outfit for later. I have a date and I was going to tell you but then I saw this mess and I couldn't believe it! How could this happen? You were in the room!"

Peggy frowned in confusion. "This doesn't make any sense! My purse wasn't touched either."

"If they weren't after any money, what were they after then?" Angie asked, looking at the room.

Glancing around expertly, Peggy swept the perimeter for any signs of a break in. The window was still firmly latched and the front door did not look as if it had been disturbed. This burglary was much too neat and organized. On a hunch Peggy went to her bureau and opened a secret drawer, the one holding her Sweet Dreams lipstick but it was gone too. Everything was stolen. Few people knew about that lipstick. A cold shiver ran down her spine. It couldn't be…could it?

"My red lipstick is gone." Peggy stated quietly.

Angie narrowed her eyes. "You mean the special red lipstick? The one I can never ever borrow?"

Peggy nodded. "Yes, that is the one. I have a feeling I know who did this but I can't be sure."

"Well I hope you can remember what they look like!" Angie said fiercely, looking for one of Stark's many telephones. "I'm going to call the police. Maybe they can help us catch this thief. It just gives me the creeps that someone would steal a woman's clothing! I mean, who does that?"

Shaking her head, Angie left the room. Peggy bit her lip and studied the empty drawers. It was already 8:30 a.m. and work started at 9:00. Realizing her position, Peggy got up and ran to her friend who was just about to dial the numbers. "Hey Angie, considering I don't have anything to wear today, do you mind if I borrow an outfit? At least until I can buy some replacements?"

Angie looked up in surprise. "Yes, of course! Might I suggest the dark blue dress, the one with the black stripe across the middle? You would look pretty swell in that and it might just fit you!"

Peggy smiled, "Thanks Angie, you are a true friend!"

Getting to her work shift at the SSR took Peggy a bit longer then expected, considering what had happened. She braced herself for a reprimand but surprisingly, nobody noticed when she walked in late. People were still in mourning over the late Chief Dooley and nobody seemed to care about anything in particular. One agent was even sneaking a drink on the job. It was disgraceful.

When Krzeminski died, the office moral was down but never to the point of inaction. Peggy frowned and sat down at her desk. Pulling out the recent Leviathan profile, she studied the information the SSR had created in the recent weeks. There wasn't much. Nothing more than a few notes, question marks and a few names circled in red ink. There was nothing about Dottie.

There were plenty of mentions of Dr. Fennhoff and his hypnotism but nothing about his partner.

Taping her finger against the words "black widow", Peggy wondered briefly how that tied into Leviathan. What did those undercover agents want? Why were they sending messages using the typewriter? Were they trying to take down the SSR? Too many questions, not enough answers.

Glancing up, Peggy looked towards Agent Sousa's desk to see if he had arrived yet. He had not.

In all the years she had known him, Daniel Sousa had never been absent or even late. His punctuality had always impressed her, considering his bad leg and the fact that he was not here when it was almost 9:30 am bothered her considerably.

"Agent Smith, have you seen Agent Sousa today?" Peggy asked casually to one of the men.

Looking up from his paper work, Agent Smith glanced over at Sousa's desk. "He might be running late. It happens." He said, shrugging casually. "We all seem to be a bit wacky with the Chief gone. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Sousa will show up eventually, he always does."

Peggy frowned, studying Sousa's desk again. Something was wrong but Smith did have a valid point. Shaking her head, Peggy tried to put her worries aside and focus on catching Dottie Underwood. Daniel was probably fine; it was just her nerves getting to her. Everybody was a bit jumpy today and now she was feeling a bit uneasy too. Her rough morning hadn't helped either.

Taking out a sheet of paper, she listed all the information she knew about the Black Widow program and what she had learned from the other agents. Before she could add more than a few sentences on the page, Agent Thompson hung his head out of Dooley's old office. Glancing at her, he called out. "Carter, can you come here a second?"

Sighing, Peggy put down her pen and went to the office. It was strange seeing Thompson there.

He looked out of place. As if he were a child pretending to be the boss, wearing his father's old shoes to make himself feel important. The office was a mess too. Dooley was a fairly organized man but Thompson had files open all over the place, papers and pencils strewn about carelessly.

"How's your promotion of Chief working out for you?" Peggy asked casually. "Well, I take it?"

Thompson looked at her wearily. "You already know the answer to that one, Carter. You've seen the agents outside! Everything is a mess. I never realized how much stress this job came with. Dooley made it seem so easy! Now I am trying to organize investigations but I also have to deal with thirty men outside that door who think they are going to die if they do anything serious!"

Peggy raised an eyebrow to that. "Then I trust you can rally them into shape. You've done so in the past. What makes this any different? Remind them they are agents; give a big speech and lead. That's why you wanted this promotion, isn't it? To prove that you are a capable leader?"

"I want to be that person." Thompson admitted. "More than anything! But I can't be in two places at once! I can't be knocking heads while also conducting background information at the same time. Don't get me started on the paper work! It was a whole lot easier being an agent."

"So what do you want from me?" Peggy asked irritably. "To hold your hand? To do your job?"

Thompson looked down awkwardly. "No, I was wondering if you and Sousa could be my deputies. I don't need someone to do my job but I do need help. I know I took the credit from capturing Dr. Fennhoff and you two are formidable agents. I guess I owe you both something."

Peggy looked at Thompson incredulously. "You seriously want to give us both deputy positions? Since when? You've been looking down on both me and Daniel since day one! You treated him like an invalid and you treated me as a glorified secretary. Why would you choose us for this?"

"I was wrong." Thompson said quietly. "I was wrong about a lot of things."

Peggy snorted impatiently. "On that we can both agree on! If you were half the man Chief Dooley was, you would have noticed that Agent Sousa has been missing for almost an hour!"

Thompson looked at her in surprise. "Sousa's gone? Are you sure he's not just running late?"

"Daniel has never been late before." Peggy explained fiercely. "He would not be late now! This job means too much to him. At the funeral yesterday he told me he would see me tomorrow so I know he's not planning on being absent. Something is wrong. I think we should look in on this."

For a minute, Jack Thompson looked thoughtful. He looked at his paper work and he looked at Peggy. Finally, he gave a sigh and put his hands up in surrender. "Alright fine, you do have a valid point. Sousa is too much of a geezer to be sleeping in on account of a hangover. However, I do think we should wait at least 24 hours. So if he is running late, we won't go in guns blazing."

Peggy bit her lip as if she wanted to argue. Part of her wanted to investigate right then and there but nobody else seemed to be particularly worried. She was the only one who was making a fuss.

"Fine, I'll wait." Peggy relented irritably. "But if Agent Sousa has not made contact with us in the next 24 hours, I will go investigate! I have lost too many people and I won't lose Daniel too!"

Thompson gave her a smug smile. "I am sure there is a good reason why Sousa's late." He said as she got up to leave the room. "But go on Carter, follow your instincts. You will make the right decision. Just try to remember that there is always going to be more than one side to this story."

Peggy scowled and slammed the door shut behind her. How she hated it when Jack was like this!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy Chapter 3. Thanks for reading!

Dottie Underwood studied herself critically in the mirror.

Her look was almost on point, what with her freshly dyed brown curls, her stolen red hat and the matching blue and white pantsuit but something was missing. Deciding to add a finishing touch, she slowly put on the Sleep Well lipstick. She puckered her lips and smiled at her reflection. Now…it was perfect. Turning her head this way and that, she admired her careful handiwork.

"Hello, my name is Peggy Carter." Dottie practiced, trying out the familiar British accent.

It took a few tries but soon her imitation was similar enough that an unsuspecting person would not notice the difference. Smirking with satisfaction, she grabbed her automatic handgun and walked to where a man was sitting handcuffed to a chair. He still looked a bit dazed, his eyes unfocused while Dottie checked to see if their room was secure. In New York City there were too many witnesses to contend with and right now she wanted to have this man all to herself.

Without his friends or his crutch, this agent man was completely helpless. Dottie smiled as she crouched down to his level, trying to look him in the eye while he was starting to come to. "Peggy?" He mumbled in confusion. "Is that you?"

"Why Agent Sousa, you look positively ill!" Dottie said in her new voice. "What happened?"

Her feigned concern and changed appearance did not faze him. Daniel Sousa took one look at the woman in front of him and groaned. "Nope, you are definitely not Peggy Carter! Where am I?"

Frowning, Dottie realized her disguise was not as full proof as she thought. "Well Mister Sousa, you are my prisoner now." She said matter-of-factly. "I have a few questions for you and I know you are a smart enough man to answer them truthfully. If not, well I have ways to get men to talk. Very violent ways, so I suggest you do as you're told. If you behave, I might let you go."

"You might let me go?" Daniel asked incredulously "Do you think I'm new at this? I have been a prisoner before so I know how this works. You'll ask me questions but I won't talk. Even as a captured soldier on the front lines, I never talked. Not once! You're wasting your time, lady."

Instead of looking deterred by his bravery, Dottie grinned widely. "Oh, this makes things all the more fun than! I've always wanted a challenge. Most men are too easy to break. They fall to pieces within a few hours but I have a feeling you are a good toy soldier. However…" Dottie slowly ran her hand along Agent Sousa's prosthetic leg. "Toy soldiers break, as you well know."

Flinching from her touch, Daniel pulled against the handcuffs, the chair rattling as the weight shifted and for a second he swayed in his seat before Dottie pushed him back down again. Fuming angrily, he struggled harder but Dottie only laughed. "Now, now settle down. This won't take long. The first question is easy. How did you know I was not Peggy? Was it the accent?"

Daniel scowled but he kept his mouth shut. Dottie tried again, this time holding her gun near his head. "I bet you know where Dr. Fennhoff is being detained. Tell me where he can be located."

This time when Daniel did not speak, Dottie used the butt of the gun and hit him across the face. "What does the SSR know about Leviathan? Tell me soldier boy! I am losing my patience!"

"From what I understand…" Daniel muttered, as he coughed out some blood. "Is that Leviathan is an Old Testament Sea Monster. We were after Howard Stark. I don't know any Leviathan."

Dottie rolled her eyes. "I know you're lying. The whole city knows that the SSR acquitted Stark. I saw it in the newspaper. Now answer my questions!" She punched him again, harder this time.

Daniel blinked at her, bruises already forming on his face but he ignored the pain. "I've got a question for you. Why are you dressed like Peggy? I would recognize that outfit and red hat anywhere. I understand you are trying to go undercover but that is the poorest representation of Carter that I have ever seen! What did you do, raid her closet and hope for the best? Pathetic!"

Dottie paced back and forth in front of Agent Sousa and glared at him. "I have studied her for months! I spent time with her, chatting her up and learning about her mannerisms. My objective was to kill Agent Peggy Carter but I can do it one better! I'm going to replace her in the SSR!"

"What?" Daniel choked out. "You can't be serious!"

Dottie smiled proudly. "Oh it's easy. The SSR is all broken up over poor Chief Dooley's death, so much that they won't be looking for imposters. As long as there's a dame dressed like her, doing Peggy's job of filing and ordering their lunch promptly, they won't know the difference!"

Daniel glared at her defiantly. "There are some problems with that plan. One, I would know it's you even if you hadn't captured me and two, Peggy is not just going to let you switch places with her. She's a more capable fighter then you'll ever be. You already lost to her once, give it up!"

"How did you know it was me and not Peggy Carter? Tell me now!" Dottie shrieked angrily.

Daniel smirked. "I guess you'll never know. For as long as there's some doubt, some belief that your disguise is not foolproof, you won't kill me. No…you need me. You need me alive if you want to know how I knew the truth. If you kill me, you will only go nuts trying to figure it out."

Fuming, Dottie pointed the gun at Daniel and shot.

There was a loud bang and he flinched, expecting a sharp pain. But by some good fortune, his shoulder only stung a little as the bullet had barely nicked him. It was so close, that Daniel could have sworn he felt the bullet as it sped a centimeter above his skin. He felt himself sweating as he looked at his capture's passive face. "Consider that a warning shot." The woman said coolly.

With that, Dottie Underwood turned around and left the room.

When she was gone, Daniel gave a sigh with relief but knew that this peace wouldn't last long. Looking around was difficult with a black eye but he could not see his crutch anywhere. The room they were in was sparse but it seemed they were still in New York City. He could just barely make out the sound of traffic. He squinted and noticed there was a window in the other room. That was the only source of light; this building looked completely devoid of electricity.

Pulling hard at his shackles, Daniel tried to think clearly. He wanted to think of a plan but he was too busy worrying over Peggy and wondering if she was okay. Sighing, he tried to remember why he got into this mess in the first place but that particular memory still remained only a blur.

Shifting his weight, Daniel tried to get comfortable. The wooden chair was too stiff and his arms were hurting from being pulled back by the shackles. As he contemplated his fate, all he could hear in the next room was "tap…tap…tap, tap, tap, tap" There was a pause and then the sound continued. Over and over it went the same pattern. It only changed after it repeated five times.

"What is that crazy broad up to?" He wondered quietly. "That sounds like a typewriter…"

Dottie meanwhile was pacing in the next room over. She was waiting for the latest orders from her fellow Leviathan agents but nobody was answering her message. Angrily, Dottie typed the same words over and over. Her fingers pounded the keys in her frustration.

"Have Agent Sousa in custody…permission to follow phase two of infiltrate plan?"

There was a pause, then the typewriter spat out the message. "Don't lose sight of objective. Eliminate Agent Sousa if necessary. Eliminating Agent Carter is not optional. Phase two is a go."

Smirking to herself, Dottie got up and neatly smoothed down her stolen blue pantsuit. Her heels clicked against the floor as she went to the main room where Daniel was still tied up. The agent looked at her warily, especially when she flashed him a huge manic looking smile.

"Well Mister Sousa, you seem to be a bit lonely out here in my home sweet home! I know! How about we call up your dear lady friend, Peggy Carter? We can have a regular old party up here, just the three of us. Won't that be just dandy!"

"If you touch one hair on her head…" Daniel warned angrily. "I'll…"

Dottie laughed. "You will do what? Scowl at me to death? Oh don't worry; I have a lot planned for you two agents but why not have a little bit of fun first? Now I just have to find a telephone! I really do hope Miss Carter is at home, if only for your sake. We do need her to come quickly."

"And if she doesn't?" Daniel asked nervously.

"Then I will kill you and everyone she has ever cared about. When you are dead, I will then kill Angie Martinelli, Mr. Jarvis and finally, the entirety of the SSR." Dottie said simply. "Leviathan wants me to get rid of every potential threat, so I think this little plan of mine will do nicely!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy Chapter 4. Thanks for reading!

Despite her promise to Thompson, Peggy was starting to become very worried about Daniel. She knew that there could be a perfectly sensible reason for his absence but something in her gut told her to be worried. She could not even read the criminal files correctly, she was so upset. She was angry and frustrated but what was worse, she could not find a reason to explain these emotions.

Maybe Angie was right…maybe she did carry a torch for Daniel. It would explain why she felt flustered when the idea of marriage came up. She never would have felt flustered over a friend!

"Carter…Carter…Agent Carter are you even listening to me?!" Agent Jones demanded loudly.

Peggy looked up awkwardly and found there was an irritated agent looking at her while she daydreamed during her work. "Um…yes. Sorry, what was the question?"

"I was wondering why you ordered my sandwich with rye bread!" Jones fumed. "You act like some big shot but you can't even get a lunch order correct! I said white bread not rye bread!"

Closing her eyes, Peggy rubbed her temples and sighed. "Look, if you think you are better at ordering lunch then you do it yourself! I have enough to worry about other than your preferences for bread. Right now Agent Sousa is missing and you are nitpicking something so insignificant."

"Insignificant?" Jones spat angrily "This is my lunch, my fuel that helps keep this country safe! I fought for my country and I work long hours at this office. You forget your place Agent. This is insubordination and I won't stand for it. When I tell Chief Thompson, you'll be in big trouble!"

Rolling her eyes, Agent Carter got up and began gathering her things. She had done what she needed to do and staying here was not making things any better. "Well go on then," Peggy goaded him spitefully. "You can also tell Thompson that I am breaking my promise. I'm going to go out there and look for Agent Sousa with or without the SSR's help. I need to know that Daniel is okay."

Agent Jones gaped at her, watching as she left the front door. "But what about my sandwich?!"

The door slammed shut and Peggy ignored the man's whining complaints.

Nobody seemed to care that she was leaving early; they didn't even look up from their work. However, she could not help but feel a little worried about the repercussions for leaving in the middle of a work day without permission. Between her leaving and her recent behavior, Chief Dooley would have been furious. Jones was technically a higher ranking agent then she was.

But it didn't matter now. Roger Dooley was dead and the SSR was too busy picking itself up to pay much mind to her rebellious actions, no matter what Jones had threatened. It still did not get rid of the persistent guilt that had been nagging her all day. All the things she could have prevented if she had just known. She was determined to follow her instincts with this situation.

Checking her watch, she had precisely 30 minutes until Stark and Jarvis would arrive at the rendezvous point. Mr. Jarvis was always on time. Hailing the first taxi cab she saw, Peggy breathed a sigh of relief when she got inside. So far so good, Thompson had not stopped her from leaving.

"Where to sweetheart?" The cab driver asked casually, breaking her from her thoughts.

"I need to get to the big penthouse on 50th Street." Peggy said politely. For a moment, the elderly man gave her a knowing look and an exaggerated wink. "Okay, Howard Stark's penthouse it is."

As the taxi took off, Peggy scowled to herself irritably. She really didn't like the connotations that came from that look…or that tone. How many cab drivers were ordered by women to go to Howard Stark's penthouse? At least a hundred before she made the building her new home. This wasn't the first time this happened either. Every cab driver in New York had given her that look!

Frowning, Peggy leaned back and closed her eyes. She started going over the plan in her head. It should be simple but going after Dottie Underwood was not a one person job. She would need help. Yet no matter how many times she wanted to focus, the image of Daniel and Dottie killing him was haunting her brain. It also did not help that it was her fault that the Black Widow was still free.

But her guilt and anger would not help. She needed to think clearly. All that really mattered was getting Daniel Sousa home safely. Peggy gave a sigh. She was really starting to think about that particular agent a lot lately but maybe carrying a torch for Daniel Sousa was not a bad thing. It could even be a good thing…if she allowed herself to feel that way. Peggy mused thoughtfully. Perhaps she would take him up on that drinks offer when this was all over. It was long past due and she did want to go out with him. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

Suddenly the cab pulled to a stop and Peggy was thrown from her thoughts. With one look, she already knew that Howard Stark and Mr. Jarvis were at the penthouse. Perhaps it was the bright red Cadillac sitting in the driveway, looking shiny and expensive but mostly it was the laughter and the loud swing music that was playing from inside the house. Howard Stark always did like a party, even when they happened at the most inappropriate times. Peggy rolled her eyes but could not help but smile indulgently.

Then she realized with a sinking heart, that those loud giggles and excited chatter were also coming from her friend Angie. Peggy groaned at the realization. Of course it would be Angie's day off! How could she have possibly forgotten? An overly curious Angie could be a problem.

"I'm just waiting for the callback, Mr. Stark." Angie explained. "It should be her any day now. The director said that he liked my looks and that he'll talk to his people, whatever that means!"

"Well I am sure that you did an ace job, Ms. Martinelli!" Howard said breezily. "Perhaps with a recommendation from yours truly, that director would even give you that starring role in that play of yours. It's the very least I could do for Peggy's best friend. She did once save my life!"

"You'd do that for me?" Angie gasped. "I just don't know what to say! Thank you Mr. Stark!"

"You are very welcome." Stark grinned flirtatiously "Oh and call me Howard! We're friends now."

As Peggy Carter came slowly up the sidewalk towards the house, she saw Jarvis and Howard sitting on the couch, drinking martinis while Angie was practically gushing with happiness beside them. Peggy gave them an awkward smile when Howard finally waved her over and the moment Angie noticed her friend, she dragged Peggy over to sit right on the couch next to them.

"Peggy, did you know Mr. Stark wants to help me with my acting career? Isn't that marvelous?"

Sitting down, Peggy met Howard's eyes and looked at him suspiciously.

"Did he now?" She asked pointedly but Howard just shrugged. Peggy turned to her friend and smiled sweetly. "Well, that is good news! I am sure you will do a splendid job, Angie. You are a great actress and Mr. Stark is not only generous but very lucky to have backed such a talent."

Angie grinned and hugged Peggy before turning back to their guests.

"So what brings you over for a visit Mr. Stark?" Angie asked him curiously.

Howard gave Angie his award winning smile. "Oh, I'm just helping out my pal! Over the phone, Peggy had mentioned that there had been trouble and we wanted to make sure everything was alright. Isn't that right, Jarvis? Somebody stole Peggy's clothes and there was a kidnapping?"

"Kidnapping?! What's this about a kidnapping?" Angie asked, shocked.

"It's nothing Angie." Peggy interjected quickly. "But I want to talk to Mr. Jarvis and Mr. Stark alone now, if you please. We have a lot to catch up on. We think we know who the burglar was who stole my clothes and this person might be involved in a missing person case I know about."

Jarvis nodded his head. "It's a bit hush hush at the moment. You understand Ms. Martinelli?"

"What do you mean it is hush hush?" Angie protested irritably. "I live here too! Shouldn't I know more about the burglary that happened in my home? Peggy, I understand you have secrets but I am getting tired of being in the dark. You know that I know that you don't really work in a phone company, but can't you trust me a little? I can keep a secret! Who was kidnapped and why would someone break into our home to steal your clothes? Please…tell me what's going on."

Howard and Mr. Jarvis looked at Peggy helplessly but she shook her head.

"This is for your own good Angie." Peggy said quietly. "The burglar was obviously targeting me. They kidnapped my coworker because I happened to care about him. If you know too much, they might kidnap you too or worse. I just…I can't take that chance. Please, you have to understand. This is not easy for any of us. I would tell you if I could but right now…I can't."

"Alright, keep your secrets, English." Angie sighed, frowning in disappointment. "I get it. It's not like I'm your best friend or anything. You already have Mr. Stark and Mr. Jarvis to confide in and I'm just your roommate. There's nothing special about that. I have some errands anyway."

She wiped a tear from her eye and slammed the door behind her, leaving the three occupants of the living room slightly stunned. "Is she going to be alright?" Jarvis asked, after a moment of silence and awkward exchanges. "Ms. Martinelli seemed to be pretty upset about all of this."

Peggy sighed. "I know but it can't be helped. I can't exactly explain to her that I have a mad Leviathan agent wanting to kill me and who likes to raid my wardrobe. The SSR is a secret organization and the only way it can stay secret is if we all keep to the rules of engagement. We could not even tell Chief Dooley's wife how he died! So in turn, I have to lie to my best friend."

Howard nodded sympathetically. "Take it from me Peg" He said sagely. "Lies will only get harder to tell the longer you have to tell them. Sometimes it is easier to tell the truth. Just pull it off like a band aid! It may hurt a little at first but it's still a lot easier in the long run!"

Jarvis rolled his eyes. "Maybe it's easier for you perhaps. You don't have to deal with the tears."

"Well, tears are better than another kidnapping." Peggy said flatly. "I'll apologize to Angie later but for now, I have to deal with the fact that Dottie Underwood is probably still out there waiting for me. It just seems too convenient…a burglary followed by Daniel's disappearance. She is a master at disguises and she knows me and it's possible she might have found out about Daniel."

"About that…" Howard Stark began, looking at Peggy curiously. "Why Daniel in particular?"

Peggy glared at him angrily but Howard just grinned at her teasingly. Suddenly, their silent standoff was broken by the sound of the phone ringing on the table next to the couch. Anger suddenly evaporating, Peggy jumped for it impulsively. "Hello? This is Peggy Carter speaking."

"Hi Peggy!" A high pitched feminine voice boomed through the receiver. "This is Dottie! Remember me? I haven't talked with you for ages since you went away. I just wanted you to know that I have a few things of yours and a very handsome man is keeping me company. Why don't you come over to my place and we can catch up. Mr. Sousa is just dying to see you again!"

There was a stunned silence and Peggy just stared at the phone. Howard Stark and Jarvis looked puzzled but finally Peggy broke the silence. "If you hurt Agent Sousa, Dottie then so help me…"

"Oh, relax Peggy!" Dottie laughed. "I won't kill him…at least, not yet. I'm having too much fun and I want to play with this dreamboat a little. So why don't you come find us? You're the gumshoe agent who figured out about Leviathan. I'm sure my hideout is easy enough to find."

"It would be faster if you told me where you were." Peggy retorted irritably.

"But it wouldn't be fun unless you play detective!" Dottie explained. "You have until dawn tomorrow and if you don't come to pick up your clothes and your agent, the next bullet I fire won't miss and Agent Sousa will be dead. I suggest you hurry, he's lost a lot of blood as it is."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy Chapter 5. Thanks for reading!

When the Black Widow hung up the phone, Peggy Carter stood there for a good long moment, holding the receiver and just staring into space. She kept on imagining Daniel being tortured in horrible ways and Dottie Underwood laughing as he bled to death. Thoughts of finding him dead on the floor made her blood run cold. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening.

"Peg? Are you okay? You're looking awfully pale. What happened?" Howard asked cautiously.

Slamming the phone receiver down, Peggy's eyes were murderous as she started pacing the living room. She was muttering angrily to herself and considering her reaction to the phone call, Jarvis and Howard knew this was serious. "She's playing with me." Peggy Carter spat. "She's playing me for a fool, thinking that I'll just walk into her trap and get myself killed. Dottie thinks she has me cornered. That she has won! She knows there are no other agents helping me now."

Jarvis raised an eyebrow at this. "That is a good question. Why are the SSR agents not helping you out with this particular case? With Mr. Stark's case I completely understand but considering that one of their agents has been kidnapped, one would think this would be a pressing matter!"

Howard made a face at Jarvis but the butler ignored him. Peggy Carter however, laughed bitterly.

"You would think!" She said irritably. "But right now Chief Thompson is still learning how to be a proper leader. He didn't even notice that Agent Sousa was missing and when I mentioned it, he thought I just was overreacting and wanted me to wait. He thought Daniel was having a lie in!"

"Well then, I suppose the next reasonable step would be to find your Agent Sousa and rescue him. Mr. Stark and I would be more than willing to lend our assistance. Do you have a plan?"

Peggy Carter stood still for a moment, paused in her pacing and looked thoughtful. "If she kidnapped Daniel, then she would have had to ambush him before he would have arrived at the SSR, either in the late night after the funeral or early the next morning. Starting at Daniel's apartment would be a good start. I could question the person in charge, maybe find a witness."

"See, I knew you could do it Peggy!" Howard Stark grinned, taking a sip of his martini. "I might have a few inventions ready and with a little luck, we can catch this dame red handed. Can you imagine what the press would say? Howard Stark, former fugitive now hero of New York City!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, sir." Jarvis said dryly. "We still have to go find this gentleman."

"Technicalities." Howard sniffed. "I have complete and utter faith that Peggy will get the job done. She cleared my name, didn't she? I just have to pick up one of my babies and we'll crack this case wide open together. They might even make me an honorary agent after all of this!"

Peggy sighed, looking at the two men in front of her. "Look, I know you mean well Howard but this isn't a game. We have until the sun comes up tomorrow or Agent Sousa…Daniel will be dead. Dottie is not one for bluffing. So either shape up or leave the crime solving to Mr. Jarvis and me, we have done it by ourselves in the past. We can do it again."

Howard looked at Peggy for a moment and noticed that her expression was a familiar one. Right before Steve crashed the plane, Peggy had the same desperate and frustrated expression on her face, something just short of panic. She was worried, really worried and her missing agent was bringing back bad memories. As she looked at him intently, Howard gave her a reassuring smile.

"We'll bring Agent Sousa home, Peggy." He said sincerely. "Of course I am going to help you."

Turning to Jarvis, he started listing off things they will need. "The latest map of New York City, a getaway car, three guns with plenty of ammunition and of course, my secret weapon, the stickulator. If this Dottie person is as dangerous as Peggy says, we need something to hold her."

Peggy raised her eyebrow. "Stickulator? What in the world is that?"

"It was supposed to be a new kind of chewing gum." Jarvis explained as he wrote down his instructions. "It ended up becoming a disarming mechanism that would keep its victim permanently glued to the spot unless a proper adhesive was used. It is a good way to lose half your skin if you're not careful. For a type of sweetie, it is surprisingly dangerous and painful."

"A new type of cement that smells like strawberries!" Howard grinned. "I can't help being good at designing weapons. It's part of my genius. Who else can make powerful weapons accidentally?"

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Alright, that seems like a good idea. Dottie is a master at hand to hand combat and a surprise defense technology seems practical at disarming her. That is, assuming we don't get stuck in this stickulator ourselves. I'm also assuming it is both stable and operational?"

Howard nodded confidently. "It's safe as long as you throw it in the right direction. Look at it this way; it is just as safe as your gun. It won't explode in your face if that is what you're wondering but if you insist, I'll have Jarvis bring that special adhesive. We'll be perfectly fine."

"I'll take your word for this, Howard." Peggy sighed. She turned to Jarvis who was finishing up writing down the information. "How soon can you get these items?"

Jarvis put his pen down and smiled. "An hour or two tops. Do you have a set deadline when we will begin the mission? I remember you mentioned we have until dawn to rescue Agent Sousa."

Peggy glanced thoughtfully at the clock on the fireplace. By now the windows of the living room which had let in generous amounts of daylight before, were now turning the room a soft orange as the sun was beginning to set behind the trees. This was taking too long, it was already almost nightfall. She could hear the second hand tick as time went by. "We will leave at 8 pm." She decided. "This way I can retrieve Daniel's home address and you can go get the items needed."

Jarvis was about to protest but Peggy gave him a stern look. "I know you do not like working past 9 pm, and I respect that but tonight we do not have a choice. Waiting until dark will give us the advantage and going in too early might create problems if we aren't prepared for a fight."

The butler opened his mouth as if to protest but then closed it. "Yes…of course, I am sure Anna would understand. Especially considering this particular mission is a life or death situation."

Peggy smiled and the three went to work. The moment the stickulator was in his hands, Stark started using special gloves to distribute it into individualized packets that upon impact would react with the water inside and stick to any surface it touched. He grinned proudly when Peggy studied his invention. "There's enough for all of us. Just squeeze and throw as hard as you can."

Putting five of the packets on her belt next to her gun holster, Peggy finally gave the nod. Jarvis got the car and at precisely 8 pm, they were on the road towards 76th Street where Daniel's apartment building was located. It took a while to find it, the building smaller than the Griffith.

Parking and scoping out the inside, Peggy noted that there were not many people inside except for one man in charge of the lobby. He was an older gentleman, balding and wearing a suite with coffee stains on the front. Flipping through a magazine, he barely looked up when they came inside. "Welcome to the Gentlemen's Retreat." He said, obviously bored. "How can I help you?"

"I am looking for Daniel Sousa." Peggy said briskly. "I was wondering if you have seen him."

The man looked up in surprise but after giving her a once over, he gave her a big smile. "Now why would a cookie like you be looking for a cripple like Sousa? He's not here at the moment but if you are looking for company I can be happy to oblige. Perhaps we could get a drink?"

Peggy gave him a withering look. "I will ask you again. Have you seen Mr. Daniel Sousa? You were here all day, correct? So surely you must have seen him come in and out. Tell me now!"

Howard Stark and Jarvis walked up and stood next to her. The man looked from Peggy, to them and back again, obviously confused. "I suggest you do as Peggy says." Jarvis advised sagely.

"Um…I haven't seen Sousa since this morning." The older man said uncomfortably. "He was leaving for work when this dame came out of nowhere and kissed him. Now normally I don't notice these things but I was surprised that some cripple would catch himself a girl like that."

His words struck a chord in Peggy and she stood tense. Her hands were balling into fists but she tried to keep her calm. Finally, in almost a whisper she asked. "Did you see where they went?"

The man shrugged. "Well from the looks of things, that kiss took a lot outta Sousa because she had to support him as they walked to a waiting car. Then the next thing I saw was the girl driving off with him near the new construction sight a few blocks from here. That's all I saw, I swear!"

"Good. Thank you for your cooperation." Peggy said finally.

With that, she punched the man square on the jaw and then ushered her two friends behind her. Jarvis looked appalled by the violence but Howard was impressed. "Hot damn, Peggy!" He exclaimed as they walked quickly in the particular direction. "You really knocked his lights out!"

"Was that really necessary?" Jarvis asked hesitantly. "He told us all the information needed."

Peggy rolled his eyes. "Yes, but he was a complete wanker with corny lines. If he called Daniel a cripple one more time I would have done worse then punch him. Men like him make me sick."

Howard shared a nervous glance with Jarvis. "So um… where to next Peggy?"

Looking thoughtful, Peggy looked at the new high-rise buildings that were going up. Most of them were incomplete but one seemed to nearly finished and for some reason, there was a light on inside and it was moving. She studied it for a brief moment before a shadow of a woman passed by the window. Agent Carter smiled a cunning smile and pointed to that particular area.

"We are nearly there." Peggy explained. "Now all we have to do is stop Dottie Underwood."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now onto Chapter 6! Once again, thanks for reading!

Time seemed to move very slowly for Agent Sousa as he remained shackled to his wooden chair.

The hours seemed to alternate between Dottie interrogating him and watching her try on different outfits that she had somehow stolen from Peggy. Seeing her in Carter's clothes bothered him, almost as much as the torture but as least he knew that Peggy was alive. She had to be or else this assassin would have not bothered asking about what her weaknesses were. Dottie was desperate.

Her anger at his refusal to talk only made things worse. He was weakened, having lost a lot of blood from multiple stab wounds. His face felt painful and bruised from her constant punches. It was not the cuts or punches that bothered him really, he could handle the pain. What bothered him was the growing pool of blood dribbling a round his feet. How much blood loss would it take to die? He closed his eyes, trying coming to terms with his fate. At least Peggy was okay.

By the time he regained consciousness, Daniel realized that it had gotten late. The sunlit room that he had been sitting in earlier was practically pitch-black and he could hardly see. What had woken him was the slamming of a door. Dottie Underwood had returned from her phone call.

"Well Agent Sousa," The Black Widow sang happily. "Your beloved Peggy is on her way now!"

Daniel glared at her, wishing he could have his hands free. He hated this woman so much right now, he shook with anger but Dottie didn't notice. In her hands she had more weapons and many candles that she was starting to light up and place around the window. She was even humming to herself as she did it, looking as casual as ever. Her cheerful smile was really starting to bug him.

"You lived in the same building as Peggy. You acted like her friend. I saw how you were with her at the Griffith, treating her with compassion when she fainted. Why would you want to kill her? How did a nice girl like you get mixed up with Leviathan?" Daniel asked, his voice hoarse.

Dottie looked at him in surprise, turning away from her candles. "He speaks! My toy soldier speaks. I was wondering what it would take to get you to open up to me." She laughed loudly.

Finishing up with placing her candles, the room was glowing in their soft light. Daniel watched the other woman warily but she didn't seem to care. She was too busy shaking her head and pacing around the room. "Do you think I was some poor victim?" she asked. "Poor Dottie Underwood, brainwashed by Leviathan, that's what you're thinking. Well, you are wrong. I was never a nice girl. I have always been a Black Widow, trained by world class assassins and hired out by the Leviathan. Nothing is more threatening to a man then a powerful woman with a gun."

Daniel scowled in defiance. "I am not threatened by you."

"Really?" Dottie asked, smiling. "Not even a little? Well, you should be. Peggy Carter has to be killed off because of her potential. We are so similar, Peggy and I…we are always underestimated and overlooked. She is a worthy opponent. She is our biggest threat, so Leviathan wants her dead."

"You are nothing like Peggy!" Daniel scoffed. "She is twice the woman you are and she must really have you Leviathan people running scared! You are more worried about one female agent then you are with the entirety of the SSR! They already know that I am kidnapped and by now they are planning my rescue. You are not going to escape this time. Your goose is cooked, lady!"

Undeterred by his confident words, Dottie just looked out the window for a moment and grinned.

"You still don't get it, Soldier Boy. Men like you underestimate my skills at assassination. Soon the SSR will be no more; it will cease to exist because Leviathan will win. Do you think that I am your only obstacle? There are many enemies, always more waiting in silence to finish the job. I know this, just as I already know that Agent Peggy Carter has arrived at last to meet her death."

Dottie continued humming, ignoring Agent Sousa who remained tied to the chair. She got out a few more automatic pistols and ducked near the window's ledge. Trying to get a clear shot, she started aiming her weapon towards her target and shot off multiple rounds. The constant bangs echoed in the otherwise silent room and Daniel winced each time, trying to find a way to stop this from happening. There had to be something he could do to stop her. Minutes dragged on.

Finally, when there was a pause as Dottie reloaded, Daniel acted. He shifted his weight in the chair and tried to kick the gun out of her hands. In his efforts, the gun went off and he fell to the ground with a grunt. The Black Widow rolled her eyes at him. She put down her gun momentarily, planning on putting Agent Sousa right again but suddenly an idea occurred to her.

Grinning wickedly, she dragged Daniel so that he was in front of her. She ignored his grunts of pain and used the agent as a human shield. Holding the gun to his head, she waited for Peggy to come. Her face was manic as she heard sounds coming from behind the door. Footsteps thundered up the hallway stairs, yells from both Peggy and two muffled male voices. It was time.

Dottie took aim, watching the doorknob jiggle before it finally flew open with a bang. Then there was a strange squelching noise, followed by more gunshots from Dottie. The Black Widow had unleashed a spray of bullets, not before realizing the room was engulfed in a bright pink smoke.

For a second there was silence, Dottie looked at the mess in confusion. Then she looked down and found that her gun was completely covered with sticky pink goo. Her hands were completely stuck to it and the more she struggled to get free, the more it spread over her hands and fingers.

Letting out a furious screech, she started running towards Peggy, kicking her feet and trying to attack despite her hands being bound together in stickiness. She gave a roundhouse kick and even tried to bite her but nothing worked, the agent just dodged her attacks easily. "Howard, that stickulator stuff is genius!" Peggy exclaimed, just missing one of Dottie's more powerful kicks.

Jarvis and Stark were already running inside, coughing from the smoke. Letting Peggy take care of most of the fighting, they seemed to be a bit shaken by Dottie as she went after both of them.

"Don't act so surprised!" Howard grumbled indignantly, "I have an 85% success rate with my inventions! Nearly all of my babies are useful and powerful, if not a bit unorthodox at times!"

Jarvis rolled his eyes. "Sir now is really not the time!" He admonished. Watching Peggy, he reached down in his bag and threw more of the pink packets. "Ms. Carter, do you need a refill?"

Catching the thrown stickulator packets in midair, Peggy ducked and avoided the furious Dottie Underwood. The Black Widow was doing everything she could to stop Peggy but with her hands firmly stuck together, there was only so much she could do. Peggy did not even bother concealing a laugh as she opened the stickulator packet and aimed it for the Black Widow's feet. There was another plume of pink smoke and now Dottie's feet were firmly stuck together too.

Wiggling like a worm and struggling to regain her balance without the use of her hands or feet, Dottie collapsed to the floor in a heap. She glared daggers at Peggy and cursed loudly in Russian.

"It's over Dottie." Peggy said triumphantly. "It's all over now. Stop fighting and come quietly."

Standing over the defeated woman, Peggy looked anxiously for Daniel and saw him. He was lying on the ground unconscious, blood around him and his skin was extremely pale. Forgetting Dottie, she went running towards him. Pulling him into her arms, Peggy tried to contain tears that were starting to fall down her face. "Stay with me Daniel. We are here now. You're safe!"

Her touch briefly woke him and he blinked at her. "Peggy?" He mumbled. "Is that really you?"

Peggy nodded, kissing his forehead. "Yes…yes it's me. I'm here."

He gave her a small smile. "Good. That's very good."

Meanwhile, Jarvis and Howard were dealing with Dottie, trying to handcuff her while avoiding becoming stuck to her themselves. It was not easy, as the Black Widow was still trying to escape. Suddenly there was a noise coming from outside of the rooms, sounds of yelling and footsteps.

"Um…Ms. Carter?!" Jarvis said nervously. "I do believe that we have more company!"

Peggy got up and stood in front of Daniel protectively. She held her gun out ready to fire when suddenly a familiar face appeared in the doorway, followed by another and another. Chief Thompson walked into the room with his agents in tow. Seeing Peggy Carter with Daniel Sousa, he could barely contain a grin. "Agent Carter, it seems that you have found our missing agent."

"Where the hell did you come from?" Peggy demanded angrily, putting her gun away. "You just told me that you wanted to wait at least 24 hours before you would come out all guns blazing!"

Thompson shrugged. "I knew you wouldn't listen to me. So when Agent Jones told me you were going out to find Daniel with or without the SSR's help, well I figured you must be serious. I decided to trust you. However, I also knew you would be more willing to go out there alone then take along some backup, so I followed you. It figures you'd be working with Stark and Jarvis."

Taken aback, Peggy scowled. "Howard Stark and Mr. Jarvis have been really helpful. Dottie Underwood is captured and Daniel is successfully retrieved. All without your help, I might add."

"So I see." Thompson said, smiling. "You're a good agent Peggy. I knew my plan to follow you was a good one. Just took a bit of goading. Despite the fact that you are a woman, you have done more in 24 hours then most men would have done in a week. We have a lot to be proud of!"

Peggy stared at him for a moment, watching her new boss grin happily from his own cleverness. Her disbelief turned slowly into bitter resentment. "When you are done patting yourself on the back Chief Thompson," she said angrily, "Daniel needs medical attention. He lost a lot of blood in the fight and he could very well be dying, so do shut your trap and help me move him now!"

Thompson looked at Sousa and nodded. "Right! Of course." Turning to Agents Jones, Smith and Johnson, he ushered them towards Dottie. "Get that dame into custody and be careful about it!"

Gingerly pulling Daniel up, Peggy Carter and Jack Thompson supported him carefully as they started walking towards the exit. Howard and Jarvis were right behind them, while the other agents started cleaning up the sticky mess. As they left, Agent Jones looked around the room in confusion. "Why do I small strawberries?" He wondered, but nobody paid him any attention.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter after this. Thanks for reading!

The sun was just coming up when Daniel was finally admitted to the hospital.

The normal Friday morning traffic that was customary for New York had barely begun its slow crawl and Peggy could not help but be stunned by the whole situation. She had been used as bait to lure in the rouge Black Widow. Thompson had known Dottie Underwood was out for revenge and Peggy, being plagued by both guilt and her compassion for her coworker, was to find Daniel.

It had been both a clever plan and a despicable one. Thompson manipulated her and her emotions for Daniel and now she was too angry and too tired to properly think. After all that happened, she was left numb. Daniel had nearly died in that attack. Between being tortured by Dottie, he had been shot accidentally in the firefight when the Black Widow used him as a shield.

It was not a life threatening wound but it was enough to leave him in critical care for the next couple of hours. The rest of the morning felt like a blur. There was the customary debriefing and there was the job of waiting for Daniel to wake up. She had volunteered for the waiting duty; none of the other Agents were willing to do it. It was too early in the morning for them. Only Thompson mentioned that he would come back and visit but that had been many hours ago.

As the hours dragged on, it seemed that Thompson's words were hollow because his only excuse was that he was too busy running the SSR. For someone who initiated this big mess in the first place, it seemed awfully convenient to avoid his two "deputies" when they need him the most.

As she sat in the waiting room, Howard Stark went to sit down beside her. "You should get some sleep, Peggy." He told her gently. "You were up for the whole night rescuing him and you've been through a lot. If you want, I can wait here and I'll wake you if he is ready for any visitors."

The woman sighed and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I'm aware of how tired I am but that doesn't matter. I just don't want to fall asleep and wake up to find that he died and I didn't say goodbye."

Howard smiled softly. "I have the best doctors looking after your Agent Sousa. They seemed to be very confident of his recovery. In fact, I would not be surprised if he wakes up in a few hours asking about you. You did it Peggy. You brought him home and that is all one could ask for."

Agent Carter nodded and leaned against her friend gratefully. "You have always had my back Howard and I am grateful for that. Even when you caused all that commotion with your bad babies, you still came back. Sometimes I feel that you and Jarvis are one of the few people I can trust. The SSR planned on Daniel being captured, assuming that I'd find him in time. What if I hadn't? Dottie could have killed him! She put him half in the grave already and Thompson wanted to brag to me."

"I suppose it's hard being Chief of the SSR," Howard mused "With all those decisions to make."

Peggy snorted irritably. "If I was the Chief, I wouldn't put our agents' lives in danger! I would not send one man alone to get tortured in the hopes that a Black Widow assassin might give out some valuable information. There has to be a better way and Thompson is a fool for doing this."

Howard grinned. "I think you'd be a swell Chief! You would change the very nature of what it means to be an Agent. Little girls would want to be you and men would be jealous of any person you'd fancy. You would change the world as we know it Peggy and that I would want to see!"

Laughing, Peggy cuffed him gently on the shoulder. "When did you get so corny all of a sudden? As a woman, I am barely recognized as a capable Agent at the SSR, much less a potential candidate to become the new Chief. I doubt Thompson's going to give up his job any time soon."

"That's just what I think." Howard said matter-of-factly. "You have always been smarter than those fatheads anyway. They once tried to arrest me but you knew I want an innocent man."

Peggy rolled her eyes and was about to fire off a retort when a nurse came into the room. She was a young woman, younger than even Peggy and she was smiling softly. "Are you Peggy?" The nurse asked curiously, looking between the two of them. "Mr. Sousa just woke up from his surgery. He seems to be a lot better now and he was asking for you. I assume you're his wife?"

"Um…I'm not-" Peggy began but Howard interrupted.

"She's actually his fiancée!" Her friend said quickly. "She has been worried sick about him."

The nurse nodded understandingly and despite Peggy's protests, the other woman ushered her through. The hospital was fairly quiet and aside from the doctor wandering the long hallways, there weren't many people around. Finally, the nurse opened the door that led to Daniel's room. Peggy took a deep breath and prepared herself mentally for what she would see. But it was okay.

Daniel lay in bed, a new crutch leaning against the wall. His wounds were patched up and when he saw Peggy standing in the doorway, he grinned happily. "Peggy! I'm so glad you came to visit me! After all that's happened I was so worried about you, that maybe you were hurt too."

Peggy glanced at the nurse. "Do you mind if I have some privacy? We have a lot to talk about."

The nurse smiled. "Yes, of course. I will just leave you and your fiancé alone for a moment." As soon as the door shut behind her, Daniel Sousa sat up in bed and looked at Peggy in confusion.

"Why does the nurse think that you're my fiancé?" He asked and was even more confused by her blushing face as she looked down. "Did I say something that put you in this awkward position? I was under a lot of drugs. I know you don't feel the same way and I'm sorry if I said anything."

"It was the only way to see you." Peggy explained quickly. "I had to be family or your wife. It was actually Howard's idea to tell the nurse that I was your fiancé. It made sense I suppose."

Daniel nodded but he was still confused why Peggy's face was so red. "I don't remember much from what happened. The last thing I remember was being used as a shield by the Black Widow and you coming through the doorway. After that, it's a bit of a blur. Were you hurt in the fight? Did the SSR come in time? I told Jack the plan was a stupid. Nobody was supposed to get hurt."

"You got hurt." Peggy said bluntly. "Dottie nearly killed you."

Daniel shrugged. "Yes, but I'm okay now. I really learned a lot from Dottie Underwood. Apparently the Leviathan believes that you are their biggest threat. She was not even bothered by the idea of the SSR coming to arrest her! Her only goal was to kill you, kill me and then kill any other potential threats. Once that was done, Dottie was planning on replacing you in the SSR."

"I knew she wanted to kill me," Peggy mused out loud, "but why would she want to take my place in the SSR? Any other agent would be a lot more useful to replace. I have no real power."

Daniel laughed and shook his head. "You really don't know how special you are, do you? You managed to turn the whole SSR on its head and you never noticed! Thompson knew that you were capable enough to track down Dottie. That's a step up from treating you as a secretary. Even Leviathan is intimidated by you and I believe they have every right to be running scared!"

Peggy looked unconvinced. "Don't exaggerate, I'm nothing special but…thanks. I appreciate the sentiment." For a moment she looked at Daniel thoughtfully, as she stood by his bedside and watched as he looked up at her with his big brown eyes. "In a way, this has been helpful to me."

Daniel nodded. "I don't blame you. I would want to know if Leviathan wanted me dead too."

Peggy shook her head, smiling a shy smile. "No, not that. It's just, before you were taken by Dottie I never realized how much you meant to me. Ever since you asked me to get that drink with you a few days ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I know it's stupid but I really wish I didn't have plans that day. I keep on thinking about all the what ifs and maybes."

Looking at him curiously, Daniel had suddenly gotten really quiet. He was looking at her with disbelief on his face and a bit of hope shining in his eyes. "You were not turning me down?" He asked hesitatingly. "I thought you were just trying to be polite and trying to let me down gently."

"It was just bad timing and I was caught off guard." Peggy explained patiently. "Angie and I were moving into our new home that day and there was a lot of packing involved. The moment I knew you were interested; I felt that maybe…maybe I could have a bit of happiness again. You make me happy Daniel. But if you don't want to go out and get drinks with me, I'd understand."

"Of course I want to!" Daniel said, almost too eagerly. "We can go right out now if you want!"

Peggy laughed. "It's 7:00 in the morning. A bit early, don't you think? How about tomorrow at 5 PM at the Stork Club? Would that be okay instead? Come by my place and we'll go together."

"Alright, that sounds swell." He said with a grin. "It's a date!"

Peggy nodded and after hesitating for a brief moment, she bent over his bedside and kissed him gently on the lips. He leaned into her and she smiled, getting close enough that she was sitting on the bed beside him. She was so close that her hands were intertwined with his and that she could feel his warm breath on her skin. Turning her head towards his, she kissed him again and again, whispering the words. "It's a date" she agreed. "So don't ever worry me like that again Daniel!"

Holding her hands, Daniel looked deep into her eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it!" he said sincerely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this story is finally finished and it has been fun. Thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks and comments!

After what had happened at the Griffith a few weeks earlier, Daniel Sousa could feel Angie Martinelli's scrutiny the moment he announced his intentions for being at their front doorstep. This young woman was intimidating! She kept staring at him, watching him with a mischievous look in her eye, as if she found her newest toy. Her evil smile was enough to make him sweat!

"So you're the not so bad man." Angie said thoughtfully. "You were one of those secret agents."

Daniel smiled nervously. He leaned against his crutch self-consciously while she looked him up and down approvingly as if he were a piece of meat. "Um, yes…I suppose I am. About what happened at the Griffith, I really do apologize for what happened. Getting you and Peggy thrown out of your building was not our intention. It was a bad situation that spiraled out of control."

Angie shrugged good-naturedly. "Aw, forget about it. The Griffith was not nearly as ritzy as Mr. Stark's penthouse and I really like it here. I suppose you work for the Phone Company too?"

"Yes, Agent Ca—I mean Peggy is my coworker."

Nodding her head in understanding, Angie gave him a sneaky look. "Don't worry Mr. Sousa; your secret is safe with me. English explained to me what happened. It was some bad luck that crazy Iowa decided to kidnap you. Who would have thought she would want to do you both in?"

Daniel frowned in confusion. "English? Iowa? I'm afraid you lost me…"

Angie was about to reply but stopped when Peggy finally made an appearance. Stepping outside, she talked quietly to her friend, the girls whispering to each other for a brief moment before finally Angie nodded with understanding. Giving a brief wave, Angie stepped back inside and Daniel was stuck staring dumbly at his date. Wearing a long black dress that accented her figure, Peggy was a vision and it was all he could do not to become more nervous at the sight of her.

"Wow…Peggy! You're a knockout!" Daniel exclaimed, his voice suddenly feeling hoarse.

Peggy blushed and shyly smiled. "Thank you. I really do hope it's not too much. Since most of my clothes had been stolen, Howard insisted that he buy me a new dress to wear for our date. He can be a bit over the top sometimes, so I wasn't sure. Should I change into something different?"

"No! This will be fine. You look *cough* fine. You look really beautiful, not that you aren't always beautiful but tonight you look especially really beautiful…and I…I will stop talking."

Laughing, Peggy laced her arm with his. "Alright, I won't change my outfit. I just wasn't sure. I suppose we should be going now. If we wait here any longer, I think Angie is going to burst with pride. She's been like a mother hen to me all evening, proud that I am finally leaving the nest!"

Daniel frowned. "I think Angie knows we are agents of the SSR. She knew I was kidnapped."

"Angie is my roommate and my best friend." Peggy explained softly. "It was wrong to keep lying to her, even if it was for a good reason. So I decided to tell her some truth in what I do. She knows about the same as Howard Stark, not everything but enough to stop asking questions."

Nodding, Daniel sighed. "You really care about Howard Stark, don't you? Him and Mr. Jarvis"

Peggy studied him and noticed that he seemed sad; she hugged him gently as they walked down the road to a waiting car. "I don't have feelings for Howard Stark. No matter what people think, Howard and Mr. Jarvis are like family to me. When Steve died, Howard understood my pain better than most people. When I lost my home, he offered his penthouse to me and my friend. If anything, Howard's been pestering me to go steady with you since he first learned of my crush."

Daniel raised an eyebrow at this. "I suppose I now owe my gratitude to Mr. Stark." He joked.

Peggy laughed. As the two climbed into the taxi cab, Peggy gave Daniel a gentle peck on the lips. "I am still the same woman. The clothes don't change anything. Regardless of what happened to us in the past, I made a promise to you that I would include you in the loop. I intend to keep my promise, regardless of whether you are my coworker, my friend or my boyfriend."

Daniel smirked. "I thought you were my fiancé?"

Peggy looked at him coyly. "Now don't get ahead of yourself Daniel. This is only our first date."

Grinning cheekily at her, he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, you can't blame a fella for trying."

The two cracked up laughing, curled up together in the backseat as the taxi cab sped off towards the Stork Club. The last rays of sunlight were falling behind the horizon and as they got closer to their destination, loud music could be heard. People were coming out of taxis and it was already pretty crowded despite it being fairly early on a Saturday night. Looking at the other men with their two perfect legs, Daniel suddenly felt very self-conscious as he glanced down at his crutch.

"Peggy, I'm not a very good dance partner." Daniel admitted sadly. He gestured to his crutch. "I can't move around easily and I will probably step on your feet. Are you still okay with this?"

Paying the cabbie, Agent Carter looked at her boyfriend with surprise. He looked so sad, that it broke her heart. Finally, she leaned towards him and pulled him close to her in a warm embrace. He was surprised by the sudden rush of affection but he did not pull away. "Am I okay with this kind man taking me out? Yes. Of course I'm okay with this!" Peggy said passionately. "You are worth ten of those ordinary men with their perfect legs. I chose to go out with you, not them."

"But…I…" Daniel stuttered. "Are you sure?"

Annoyed, Peggy opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. She put her hands on her hips and gave her boyfriend a withering stare. "Are you going to stay in here and second guess my decisions or are you going to come out and have some fun with me on our date? Stop feeling sorry for yourself Daniel. Now are you coming or what? I will not ask you again."

Daniel Sousa looked admonished for a good long moment but finally he smiled. "Yes ma'am!"

With his eyes crinkling with warm affection, his dimple showing in his smile, he grabbed his crutch and pulled himself out of the cab. Lacing his arm with Peggy's, they walked into the Stork Club together and he soon forgot about those perfect couples. How other men looked compared to him did not matter. He would never run or walk as fast. He would always be a little clumsier then most but even with all his imperfections, Peggy Carter still loved him and that was enough.


End file.
